In the process of sputtering deposition of target material onto substrates, a major problem is the fracturing of the target due to thermal expansion induced stresses. Target fracture requires removal of the target and the target electrode from the sputtering system for replacement of the target. One approach is to use very low power densities so that thermal effects are diminished. However, with very low power densities, the deposition rate is very slow, which tends to be time-consuming and costly during mass production.